Paper or like sheet-folding machine



Dec. 30, 1930. E. E. PALMER 1,786,773

PAPER OR LIKE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.3.

117 vs flier Ernes? Edward Paine):

Dec. 30,'1930.' E, E. PALMER PAPER OR LIKE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 a a Z W Z Z J 6% a Dec. 30, 1930. 4 PALMER 1,786,773

PAPER OR LIKE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 I12 uenfor lrkeaiidwarrl 'aimer Dec. 30, 1930. E. E. PALMER 1,736,773

I PAPER OR LIKE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ina/6 1 01 E'rnesi idu ord Fa/Zyr;

Dec. 30, 1930 E. E. PALMER 1,786,773

PAPER OR LIKE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 5 Fig. 10

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I I 71 vewior l'rnesi i'dwa rd Palme r J @AQM Dec. 30, 1930. E. E. PALMER PAPER OR LIKE SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 3 v n Fm a v W m m a UW w E 7 ml/v Patented Dec. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES ERNEST EDWARDPALMER, F TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVE- LAND FOLDING MAGHINECOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ACORPOIRATION OF PAr NroFFIcE OHIO mpure. on LIKE snnn'r-rornme MACHINE Application filed September 10, 1927, Serial No. 218,762, and in Great Britain September 13, 1926.

This invention relates to paper or like sheet folding machines and is applicable to machines operating on either the buckling or knife folding principle or embodying both principles and has for its object to reduce the manufacturing and maintenancecosts of such machines and simplify their working without in any way impairing their etficiency.

In some types of folding machine the arrangement of the mechanism is such as to enable parallel and transversefolds to be made in a sheet in a variable sequence and number so that when required certain of the folding sets may be cut out of action While others are operative.

Now where only a limited number of folds is to be made and it is undesirable for the sheets to be carried right through the ma chine to the collector box it has been customary hitherto to arrange individual collecting boxes for the delivery of the signatures at different parts of the machines, thereby adding to the costs of manufacture and maintenance. The object of the invention is to avoid this and to enable the folded sheets to be delivered from any part of the machine to a common receiving or delivery device in a simple and inexpensive manner.

To this end according to the present inven-' tion use is made in a folding machine having more than two folding sets of a delivery signatures from one .Or other of two or more of said folding sets and, advantageously, from any one thereof. This is preferably effected by means of chutes or deflecting guides employed for guiding the signatures from the selected folding set to the delivery device proper.

To enable signatures emerging from a folding set to be directed selectively either to the delivery device or to a folding set or to one of a number of [different folding sets said chutes or deflecting guides may as usualbe constructed so as to act' as switches by, for example being made rotatable, oscillable or removable. Thereby the signatures may be caused or allowed selectively to pass either to a further folding set or sets or to the delivery device.

-AA in Fig. '1. devlce, such as a stacker, adapted to receive In constructions of folding machines appropriate to the general principle of a delivery common to several folding sets it may be desirable for a sheet carrying device such as a cross-carrier, to be disposed below the common delivery device or stacker. The signas tures must then be conveyed upwardly in order to reach said delivery. This upward conveyance may advantageously be performed during their passage through afolding set or immediately before or after, the same. I 1

The advantages of a common delivery arrangement are enhanced by the use, where necessary, of deflectors for cutting out individual folding sets not required for any particular run. These deflectors may be of the known type which is substituted for the fold: ing plate as a whole or of the type pivotally securedto a retractable plate.

Various embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examplein the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. l-6 illustrate a machine employing buckling folding sets and having a common deliveryapron travelling at right angles to the direction of feed on the feed table.

Fig. 1 being a side elevationthereof.

Fig. 2an end elevation. i

Fig. 3' a'plan, p'artlyin section on the line Fig. 4 a detail sectional View ofthe parallel folding sets, the view being taken substantially on line BB Fig.1 2.

Fig. 5 a detail sectional view cross folding set and c 7 Fig. 6 a detailsectional view of the cross folding set.

Figs. 7- 9 illustratea modified form of the folding machine shown in Figs. l-6 wherein the delivery apron lies longitudinally parallel to the feed table.

- Fig. 7 being a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 8 an end elevation and Fig. 9 a detail sectional view of the parallel folding sets, the section being taken substantially online C-C of Fig. 8.

3 Figs. lO-ltillustrate the application of the invention to a machine incorporating of the first second folding sets of both the buckling and knife type.

Fig 10 being a side elevation thereof partially in section.

Fig. 11 an end elevation also partially in section.

Fig. .12 a detail sectional view illustrating delivery from a folding set producing a fold parallel to the first cross fold and Figs. 13 and 14 similar viewsillustrating alternative manners of delivering direct from the first cross folding set.

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view illustrating the use of deflectors for cutting out individualcomponents from a bank'of folding sets.

Figs. 1-6 of the accompanying drawings illustrate the invention as applied to a folding machine of the buckling type wherein the common delivery apron or stacker 1 moves perpendicularly to the line of entry of the sheets on the feed table 2. Said feed table supplies sheets to the rolls 3, 4 of the parallel folding sets which comprise three folding plates 5, 6, 7 and folding rolls 8, 9, 10 in addition to the rolls 3, 4. In these parallel folding sets the sheet may be given from one to three parallel folds, folding plates not required being replaced by deflectors in the well known manner (Fig. 15) From the last pair of rolls 9, 10 of the parallel folding sets the sheet may be delivered either direct to the conveyor or to a first cross-carrier 11 which is of the type employing oblique rolls 12. For this purpose beyond said rolls 9, 10 an adjustable unit is provided comprising a deflector or guide 13 anda pair of shafts carrying scoring discs and/or feed rolls 1a, 15. In Fig. 4 this unit is shown in full lines in the position in which it is secured when sheets are to be delivered to the cross-carrier 11 and in dotted lines in its position for passing the sheets direct to the stacker 1.

In the former case the cross-carrier 11 conveys the sheets to the first cross-folding set consisting of the fold plate 16 and rolls 17, 18, 19. The sheets may be delivered from this set either direct to the stacker or to a second cross-carrier 20. To this end provision is made once more of an adjustable unit which comprises a deflector in two parts 21, 22 and shafts carrying scoring discs and/ or feed rolls 23,24 all carried on laterally disposed arms 25 pivoted at 26 to brackets 27 on the machine frame. (Fig. 5.) These lateralarms 25 may be secured by plungers passed through holes in said arms 1nto one of the holes 28, 29, in each of said brackets. In Fig. 5 the unit is shown in position for delivering to the stacker 1. When lowered to deliver to the cross-carrier 20 the lower part 22 of the deflector combines with a fixed guide 30 to provide a continuous guide-way on to said cross-carrier. The shafts carrying the scorers or feed rolls 23, 24 are driven from the roll 19 through a gear 31 which naturally must be adjustable in order to enable it to roll on the corresponding gear on the roll 19 when the unit is swung about 26. For this purpose the shaft of the gear 31 is journalled in slots 32 in the arms 25.

If delivered to the second cross-carrier 20 the sheets are passed thereby to a second cross folding set consisting of rolls 33, 3% and 35 and folding plate 36. This set is so disposedas to deliver on to the stacker and, since the latter is situated above the carrier 20, a novel arrangement of the rolls and plate is necessary. ,From the cross'carrier 20 the sheets pass up'between feed rolls 37, 38 over a guide 39 into the rolls 33, 3-1 of the folding set. 011 emerging from the plate 36 the sheets pass between the rolls 34-, and are delivered over or through a guide IO on to the stacker 1 assisted by feed rolls 41, 42 if necessary.

The arrangement illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 differs from that above described merely in that the stacker 1, consisting of a continuous conveyor apron is disposed in the machine parallel to the feed table 2.

The parallel folding sets areconstituted and. arranged in the same way as in the previouscase but the extension of the stacker underneath the feed table 2 provides a further alternative for delivering from the parallel sets. For this purpose the fold plate 7 is so constructed that if delivery is required after one transverse fold has been made said plate can be converted into a through plate by removing therefrom the usual stops 7. It will then merely constitute a guide for the sheets which will emerge from the plate on to the stacker 1 (Fig. 9).

The parallel position of the stacker also allows of an alternative construction for the switching means following the parallel folding sets. In the present example said switching means comprise two pairs of non-adjustable shafts, one pair carrying scoring discs and/or feed rolls 14 15, and the other feed rolls 14; 15, and a removable deflector l0. If the sheets provided with the desired number of parallel folds are to be delivered to the cross-carrier 11 the deflector i0 set in the position shown with dotted lines in Fig. 9 so that on emerging from, therolls 9, 10 the sheets are guided by the deflector 10 between the scoring discs or feed rolls 14 15' on to the cross-carrier. If on the other hand the sheets are to be discharged direct on to the stacker the deflector 40 is removed and the sheets then pass downwardly betwecn'the rolls 14 15 and over the guide 4i-1 on to the stacker 1. Naturally the removable deflector 40might be replaced by a pivotal. two position deflector.

As in the previous example the cross-feeder delivers the sheet to the cross folding set 16, 17, 18, 19 whence, depending on the position of a delivery unit similar to that described above, it may be passed to the second cross-carrier 20 or discharged direct to the stacker 1. The second cross-feeder conducts the sheets to the second cross folding set33, 34, 35, 36 in passing through which the sheets are elevated to the level of the stacker 1.

It will be appreciated that the fold plate of any folding set which in any particular run is not to be operative to produce a fold may be replaced for that run by a deflector plate so arranged that the sheet proceeds unfolded in precisely the same direction as it would had said plate been in action.

Figs. 10-15 illustrate the application of the present invention to a folding machine of the type combining buckling and knife folding sets. It will be seen that sheets delivered from a feed board or table 2 pass through parallel folding sets precisely similar to those already described. As in the example illus trated in Figs. 7-9 the stacker 1 is disposed parallel to the feed table so that it is possible, in this instance also, to adapt the fold plate 7 for use, when desired, as a through plate or guide delivering direct on to the stacker apron 1. Feed rolls 42 may beassociated with said plate 7 in the manner set forth for example in specification of British Patent No. 234,126 so that when the plate is to be used as a guide said rolls can be adjusted to assist the travel of the sheet therethrough. This arrangement is of particular advantage in the present example because the stacker is rather far below the parallel folding. sets but it is also applicable to the buckling folding machine previously described.

If the sheets are to receive one or more cross folds before stacking they pass from the parallel folding sets on to the table 43 and fetch up against the usual stops for folding by the knife 44 and the rolls 45 and 46. After re ceiving this fold the. sheets may either be folded at right angles or parallel to the same or may be delivered direct to the stacker 1.

If a cross fold is to be imparted (Fig. 11) the sheets are merely allowed to pass vertically downwards from the rolls 45 and 46 on to a pivoted deflector surface 47 which directs them on to a table 48 for folding by the knife 49 and rolls 50 and 51. The latter discharge the sheets over a guide 52on to the stacker 1.

When a parallel fold is desired the sheet is directed towards the buckling folding set 53,

:54, 55, 56 by a pivotal deflector 57 which can be swung from an inoperative position 11 and 13) to that shown in Fig. 12 in which it co-operates Withthe fixed guide 58. De-

' livered from this folding set by the rolls 54,

55 the sheet is guided by the removable de-- flector plate 58 on to the stacker 1. To enable said plate 58 tobe correctly positioned, the pivoted deflector 47 must be swung to the position illustrated in Fig. 12.

For delivering direct from the rolls 45,

46, to the stacker 1 the arrangement is the carriers, and delivery apron described above with reference to the drawings are naturally to be regarded as examples only of the application of the invention to particular types of machine and it isobviously applicable also to types of machine having a larger or smaller number of fold plates and having said fold plates, cross-carriers, delivery apron and other elements disposed in a manner other than that illustrated.

What I claim is J V 1. In a paper handlingv machine, a plurality of sheet feedingconveyorsadapted to handle consecutively sheets passing through the machine single file, meansat the delivery end of each conveyor for performing an oper ation upon the sheets, a sheet delivery con veyor, and a movable deflecting guide in connection with each of said operating means for feeding sheets onto said delivery convey or without passing them over the succeeding sheet feeding conveyors. 2. In a paper handlingmachine embodying a plurality of mechanisms for operating consecutively. upon sheets of paper orthe like, a common sheet delivery conveyor, and means for feeding sheets from any one of said mechanisms directly onto said conveyor. 3. In a paper handling machine, a plu rality of means at separated points for-performing operations upon. sheets of paper or the like passing through-said machine, and a sheet moving means adapted to receive sheets directly from any one of said first named means selectively.

4. In a paper handling machine, a plurality of means at separated points for performing operations upon sheets of paper or the like passing through said machine, and a stacker adapted to receive sheets directly from any one of said means selectively.

- 5. Ina paper handling machine, folding means, two sheet moving tables arranged in superposed relation adapted to move the folded sheets in two different directions, a stacker, and means for feeding sheets fromeither of said tables onto said stacker.

6. In a paper handling machine, two sheet moving tables arranged in superposed relation, a stackerinterposed between said two tables, and means at the delivery end of each table for operating upon said sheets, said (Fig. 14 whereby the same result olperating means being adapted to deliver s eets onto said stacker.

7. In a aper handling machine, two superposed s eet moving tables, means at the 5 delivery end of one of said tables for operating upon said sheets, a stacker, and means at the delivery end of the upper table for feeding sheets onto either the lower table or said stacker.

8. In a aper handlin machine, two superposed s eet moving ta les, a stacker, and means at the delivery end of the upper table for operating upon said sheets, said means being adapted to feed the sheets either onto the lower table or onto said stacker.

9. In a paper handling machine, two superposed sheet moving tables, means at the delivery end of one of said tables for operating upon said sheets, a stacker interposed between said two tables, and means at the delivery end of the upper table for feeding sheets either onto the lower table or onto said stacker, 7

10. In a paper handling machine, two superposed sheet moving tables, a stacker interposed between said two tables, and means at the delivery end of the upper table for operating upon said sheets, said means being adapted to feed the sheets either onto the lower table or onto said stacker.

11. In a paper handling machine, two superposed sheet moving tables, means at the delivery end of one of said tables for operating upon said sheets, a stacker means at the 85 delivery end of the upper table for feeding sheets either onto the lower table or onto the said stacker, and means at the delivery end of the lower table for feeding sheets onto said stacker.

o 12. In a paper handling machine, two superposed sheet moving tables, means at the delivery end of one of said tables for operating upon said sheets, a stacker interposed between said two tables, means at the deliv 5 ery end of the upper table for feeding sheets either onto the lower table or onto said stacker, and means at the delivery end of the lower table for feeding sheets onto said stacker.

13. In a paper handling machine, a plurality of sheet feeding conveyors adapted to handle consecutively sheets passing through the machine single file, means fixed upon the machine at the delivery end of each conveyor for performing an operation upon the sheets, a sheet delivery conveyor, and means adjustable at will to feed sheets onto said delivery conveyor following any one of said operations without passing them over the succeeding sheet feeding conveyors.

, In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature this 29th day of August, 1927.

- ERNEST EDWARD PALMER. 

